Herper of the Month - March 2006
"It was the late 1950s and I was five years old, only inches away from the largest reptile I had ever seen, staring right at its huge, sharp teeth. Fortunately, it wasn’t hungry. In fact, it was dead – about 65 million years dead. But no matter, I was inspired." |
| "Years
later, when I finally realized that being a paleontologist really
meant you study rocks, not rex, my fascination shifted to the
dinosaurs’ closest living relatives (back then birds didn’t count).
I grew up as one of those kids that everyone, including me, assumed
would become a herpetologist. But by the time I went to college
I thought people were more interesting than snakes (we all make
mistakes) and so I embarked on a career in Management, and today
I have a private practice as a business advisor." |
| "However,
herps have been my constant hobby for more than 45 years. Can’t
remember a time when I didn’t have a captive collection; I was
even a zookeeper for a while. But my deepest interest and biggest
thrill has always been searching for herps where they live, getting
out into the field, entering their world. No greater rush for
me than that electric moment of discovery." |
"And in this digital age, that excitement has been compounded by the satisfaction of sharing those experiences with others, in forums like this (thank you SnakeGuys!), or on my Herp Trips website http://www.eitangrunwald.com/herptrips/ Thanks to all of you who create this community and make it possible." |
© Scott Waters Productions